You're Hot and I'm Not, so what?
by hyakki-hime
Summary: A foreign student at the new start of the year. But that student also knows Kuroko, can tease Taiga like nothing, and has some issues with some Kiseki no Sedai. What could that be? Well, you'll found out soon.
1. Chapter 1

_Note from the author: Before you start, please be reminded that whenever you see passages with __**underlines**____are delivered by the characters in English._

_Wow… I'm really back in Japan. I swear, I really missed this place!_

It had been almost two years since I suddenly left Japan and went back to my home country where I was born. Both of my parents are non-Japanese but we are still Asians. We lived in a province surrounded by mountain ranges, one of the longest in Southeast Asia. However, we are not the typical provincial bumpkins you imagine. We lived in a town near the borders of main cities of the country, hence, I could not really say I grew up in a normal provincial nature. After I graduated from elementary, my mother's best friend, who was working as a medical doctor in Japan, offered to provide me to continue my education in that country. But due to some circumstances, I wasn't able to finish my junior high there. I suddenly returned home in the middle of it.

So here I am again after almost two years, back to this country where the sakuras bloom best. It just felt so nostalgic.

It's the start of the school year and I got to be enrolled in Seirin High. It's the start of my year in Senior High School here in Japan and I will be wearing a Japanese uniform everyday! The atmosphere is a little tense with everyone so busy and very noisy blocking every first year student that pass by on each club's territory. A lot was forced to stop, look and listen to a club's propaganda to invoke me to join them. I rejected each one of them even though I have a little interest with something because the venue is really not comfortable. In fact, it was not just crowded but really messed up. Everything was so confusing which made me felt a little nauseous. I slowly stepped backward to avoid the students forcing their clubs on me and more steps backward until my back suddenly bumped on something big and as hard as a trunk of a tree.

"Ouch!" I said and massaged the back of my shoulders with my right hand. "Why is there a tree here?" I turned my back and saw someone. I slowly turned my head up until my chin aligned to my throat. I just let my mouth form a letter "O" with a silent "Wow" on it. It was a guy around six feet in height with eyes glaring but the best was his eyebrows which were shaped as "greater than" and "less than" symbols when in a mathematical equation. _Wow…this is the first time I saw in real life eyebrows like the ones Dorothy of Gundam Wing had._

"Oi, you're blocking my way."

"Are those real?" I unconsciously said the words in English while my head still looking up and my eyes locked on his eyebrows.

His eyes began to form a little round and said, "Did you also come from America?" It was also in English. From that moment, I forgot I was in Japan.

I was a little irritated on his sudden query. "Hey, not all people who can speak English came from America. I'm an Asian just like you." And gave him a big smile. "Anyway, see you around, Dorothy-san!" and left him to continue my wandering.

He just stared at me.

"Dorothy… Dare?" Kagami spoke to himself.

"Oi… nani nani… I can't understand what they're talking about…"

"Are those foreigners?"

"I think they're arguing something about America."

"That's the only word I understood."

Kagami glared at the two male students which made the latter skipped by surprise. Kagami saw the flyer they were holding and got interested on them. Hence, he walked towards the two seniors and asked, "Are you from the Basketball Club?"

"Ah.. Hai!", said the smaller student with a mouth shaped like number 3 and looked like a rabbit being bullied by a tiger.

The next thing the rabbit knew, he was brought down by the tiger to the table where Coach Riku and Captain Hyuga are waiting. The coach was also a student of Seirin. She is a very energetic type of person. On the other hand, the captain was very manly in appearance and wears eyeglasses.

"Coach… this guy here wants to join our team…", the rabbit spoke while crying due to fear of being eaten by the tiger.

Riku handed the form to Kagami enthusiastically. "Just fill this out and we'll contact you for schedule of our meeting."

Kagami scribble on the upper boxes of the form. He was able to finish filling them out in just a minute and handed back the form to the young coach. When Riku received the form, she immediately saw the big box as blank. It was the place where one should write his reason why he is interested in joining the basketball team.

"Hey, Kagami Taiga. You forgot to write why you want to join our basketball team."

Kagami stood up, picked up his bag and replied, "There's no need for that. Basketball here in Japan are all the same." Then he left.

I loitered around the places to familiarize myself with the clubs of my new school.

_Hmmm… I really dream to be mangaka but I also want to try archery and learn tea ceremony. Gaaaah… why is it so hard to choose just a club…_

My self-reflecting moment was suddenly interrupted by a name very familiar to me. At first I thought I only confused some Nihonggo words with that name but the students started to make a havoc by learning the name: Kuroko Tetsu of Teiko Junior High.

"AAAAH! He was a member of the team where the Generation Miracles used to be!" the girl with short hair exclaimed. "Why didn't I notice him? It's impossible that I neglected this kind of opportunity!"

"Eeeeeh? Kuroko's here, too?" I barged in to their conversation due to my great excitement that the cute Kuroko is here in my school, too.

The female and his two male companions looked at me which made me felt a little embarrassed.

"Do you know this Kuroko?" the girl asked.

"Kuroko Tetsu? Mm! We used to study in Teiko Junior High." I replied. "So I bet this is the Basketball team. Am I right?"

They just stared at me and stared back at Kuroko's form.

"Oi oi…" the glasses guy reacted with a smile on his lips. "I bet this year will be a lot more energetic. Nee, coach?"

"Yeah… I can't wait to see our new members."

As I saw their anticipating faces, my heart skipped a beat knowing how Kuroko can make their team more fun. I just gave them a big smile.

The female member of the group turned her way towards me and placed his right arm over my shoulder. She gave me a suspicious look from her eyes and said, "Nee.. Kimi… would you like to be our manager? Coz ours is too.." She paused. "Just join us, okay?"

"Ahahaha…". I gave them a fake laughing. "I kinda lost my interest from basketball so I might just be a hindrance. Let me just watch your practice games."

"Aww… that's a bad news…" Riku answered disappointedly.

The next morning, I passed by the area near the basketball court. It was larger than I expected. Well, it was as large as the one we had in Teiko Junior High which is something to be expected. Teiko's team had brought home not just bacons but wolves' meats. So it is just incumbent upon the school to develop and maintain the facilities for the basketball team.

As I wandered near the building, I saw a few boys, in shirts, shorts, and sneakers, walking towards it.

_Eh? It's too early for a club to start, right? Hmmm, they might be the new members of the club. _

"Ah, Chieto-san?"

Without me realizing it, someone spoke behind me. I gasped and my body leaped a step forward before I faced the person behind me.

With my face still flustered, I saw the face of the person. It was someone very familiar to me. It has been almost 2 years since I last saw that face and it made me truly happy.

I immediately jumped towards the person and gave him a big hug. "Kyaa! Kuro-chan! Hisashiburi!"

I couldn't see what expression Kuroko made but I just hugged him as if he was a teddy bear. He was a bit shorter than me and skinny as if he was still a junior high school boy.

I released him from my arms and asked, "So how are you doing now? Still into basketball, right?"

"Yup. I am on my way to the assembly of Seirin's basketball team. How are you doing? You suddenly vanished from our school."

"Ah! That's a long story. Hehe. Anyway, can I go with you there?"

"I don't think there's a problem with that."

"Yosh!"

As Kuroko and I entered the gym, I saw a big trunk blocking my view again. It was the same one I encountered yesterday.

"Ah, Dorothy!"

The big trunk, ah, sorry, it was a human, a big guy and he was glaring at me.

"Who the hell is Dorothy, HAAA?"

"Ah eh-" A whistle suddenly echoed in the whole court.

"All new members gather around and line up. Hurry!", a male in glasses, wearing plain white shirt, shorts, and sneakers, announced. It was Hyuga, the captain of Seirin's team, and beside him was Riku, the coach. I already met them yesterday during their recruitment.

The new members, which included the big guy who was just glaring at me, went towards Riku and Hyuga. The newbies lined up in one row while Riku and Hyuga positioned themselves in the center facing them, as if they were commanders of the platoon.

"Okay, people, introduce yourselves." Riku said.

One by one, the boys introduced themselves. At the turn of the guy I called Dorothy, he said, "I am Kagami Taiga, and I will be the number 1 in Japan!"

I smiled at myself upon hearing his declaration. _So, he's name is Taiga as in "tiger". Well, he is one, really :p_

"Okay, so that's it. This is Seirin's Basketball Team and you are about to contribute to this team's honor. But before we proceed, I would like-"

"Ano… Sumimasen…"

Riku suddenly jumped off her feet. She got surprised when a frail-looking boy interrupted Riku's speech and was right in front of her. Even the other members got surprised.

"Hyaaa! Where the hell did you come from?!"

"Ano… I was here the whole time but you suddenly skipped me so I thought I should call your attention," said the frail-looking boy.

I giggled at myself and then I realized, everyone was looking at me.

"Hehehe.. _Sorry..Sorry…_ it's been years since the last time I saw a scene like that with Kuroko", I said while wiping the tears of joy from my eyes.

"Eh? This is Tetsuya Kuroko of Teiko Junior High?", Riku exclaimed and stared at Kuroko from toe to head.

"Anyway, let's proceed. All of you," Riku continued, "strip."

The boys awkwardly stared at each other as if they did not understand what Riku had said. Even I froze and smiled at Riku. _Fanservice mode. Itadakimasu! _:p

"Did you not hear me? I said, strip!"

At the second command of Riku, everyone began to pull off their shirts and showed their flat stomachs. Wow, all of them have abs!

Riku walked towards them one-by-one, as if she was examining something on their bodies. Well, I heard that Riku was the daughter of a gym instructor who was once related to some famous basketball team in America, which I was not really sure what team it was. It was said that through observation on her father's work, she learned how to criticize the bodies of the players just by looking at them.

Her expressions looked to be amazed when she checked Taiga's physical traits. Well, it was really amazing. He had six-packs and a bikini-line. If one would illustrate my expression in a manga, I might now be giving off expressions like a fujoshi would have now.

However, as she went through to check Kuroko's physical traits, her bright expressions began to fade. Well, as expected, Kuroko was a frail-looking boy. Just with one look, he obviously had no enough stamina compared to the others. Riku thought the same thing. But as people would say: Do not judge a book, by its cover.

The basketball team's assembly just lasted for half an hour. It was just like an orientation before the their classes start. According to Riku, she wanted to check the unstrained physiological status of the new members in order for her to know what best routines she may provide them to develop their skills and how to mend their possible weaknesses. With that, I am now her fan. But even though I am her fan, I still rejected her offer to be a manager of the team. As much as possible, I don't want anything to do with basketball. It started a few years ago when something triggered me to avoid basketball. But still, I don't hate it. In fact, I love this sport. If given a life and death situation whether to play basketball or not, I will gladly play until I die. But I will only play if it's a life and death situation.

Kuroko and I walked towards our classroom since we realized we are on the same class. We just walked side by side but without uttering any words. However, I wanted to ask him how was he and how was our school back then and how was our team back then, but I chose not to speak about them.

As I was about to enter our room, Kuroko suddenly uttered, "Aren't you going to ask about him?".

I clearly heard those words but I chose to pretend I did not, and continued my steps towards the interior of the classroom.

When I realized that Kuroko was still standing outside, I gave him a big smile and said, "Hey, what are you still doing there? Let's go."

"Oi, kimi."

A shadow casted behind me which also uttered those Japanese words.

I looked behind and said, "Eh? Dorothy! Ah, jyanakutte, Taiga. You don't mind me calling you without the honorifics, right? Since you grew up in the US."

" Ah…you're too frail to be cheeky with me, you know. " Taiga said.

The students in the classroom were whispering with each other who were too scared to interrupt our English conversation.

"Ano…" It was Kuroko. "Our class will be starting anytime by now and the students are already getting scared of your English. Please mind that you're now in Japan."

"Ah! Gomen… gomen… I got carried away. Hehe" I told Kuroko. But before I went to my chair, I looked back to Taiga and showed him my tongue. "Bleh!" But I still gave him a big smile afterwards. "Jya~"

It was the beginning of our cat fight.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Another day of our class has ended. It's time for my Go Home Club.

I stretched out my arms to relax my stiffening body from the whole day, nose-bleeding pure Japanese subjects. I was not yet really used to formal Japanese. I can only converse just enough to survive. It was only during my English class that I can relax my brain cells.

As I stretch out my arms further, my fist suddenly bumped into something so hard.

"Ouch! What the hell is tha—" I said and looked up straight. It was Dorothy, ah, sorry, Taiga, I mean.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying 'ouch' here?", he said.

"Awww… gomen ne, Dorothy-san."

He just glared at me and went out of the room.

"Bleh!", I told him against his back.

Kuroko suddenly spoke to me, who was only sitting at my back. "You sure are brave enough to tease him."

"Huh? For someone who had experienced being glared at by Akashi-san, Taiga's glares are simply nothing."

"Ah, I couldn't disagree. His glares can even pierce through your soul."

I laughed at him and said, "Deshou…? He's really scary! The first time I saw him was when—"

I suddenly stopped and saw Kuroko staring at me. As if he was eagerly waiting for something.

"Ah! I forgot to do something." I suddenly said and stood up to bid him goodbye. "Mata ashita, Kuro-chan!" As I was about to leave, I made a follow-up question to Kuroko. "By the way, you, guys, have practice tomorrow, right?"

"Hai."

"I'll drop by, okay?" I finally left and gave him a big smile.

I dropped by at a convenient store to buy myself some ice cream. I bought five watermelon-flavored ice cream bars. It was my favorite flavor since it was sweet and refreshingly cold. As I went to the cashier, I saw someone familiar again.

"Ara… We meet again, Taiga. Would you mind if I speak English with you when it's just the two of us? My brain's gonna wreck right now if I still continue speaking Japanese.", I told the guy in front of the cashier.

"Whatever. I don't mind.", he replied.

"So what did you buy?" I asked him and saw three bags, almost overflowing, of assorted foods with him, so I unconsciously muttered the word, "Sugoi….."

"I thought you wanted to speak in English?"

"Ah, the word "sugoi" has been my expression already, even when I was still in my home country. Hehe"

Well, he just stared for a while and began to walk outside the store.

"Oi, chotto matte-yo!"

I gave my ice cream to the cashier and immediately paid the bill. The cashier guy seemed to be at awe with me. "Ah, doushitta?"

"Ah, I thought you were foreigners.", he said,

"Yup, I'm a foreigner but the guy before me was not. He may not look like it but he is pure Japanese. Anyway, see you around."

I gave the cashier guy a smile and immediately left to go after Taiga.

_Now, where in the world is that guy? Ah, found ya! :p_

I found Taiga who was about to cross street so I had to ran towards him in order to reach the green light for walking pedestrians. Taiga suddenly noticed me and walked faster.

"Oi, Taiga!"

Without looking back, Taiga walked faster.

_This guy… he's doing it in purpose! _Because of Taiga's long legs, his strides are almost double than mine so I had to run if I want to catch up with his brisk walking.

"Oi, cho—"

Then I heard a sound of ripping plastic bag and different items rolling everywhere. It turned out that two of his grocery bags just ripped.

"Gaaaah!" It was Taiga.

He didn't know what to do. He looked back and forth to me and to the things on the ground. He looked really in panic.

"Pfft.." I tried to stop my giggling but it all bursted out.

"Oi! Don't just laugh there. Help me with these things!", Taiga ordered me.

I still couldn't stop laughing but I said, "Hai, hai~"

We picked up each of his stuffs lying on the ground. Some people also helped us pick few things which rolled a little far from our area.

As we thought that we were able to pick up all the items, we rested in a corner covered by a tree. Taiga's stuffs are placed on the floor.

"So, how will you bring them home with you?", I asked.

"I'll just put them in my bag"

As he opened his bag, I looked inside. It was a sports bag. While it was true that it was big, the problem was, there was no enough space anymore. it was already full of his clothes for basketball practice and rubber shoes. Take note, his rubber shoes were as big as Titanic. It occupied half of his bag. We tried to remove his rubber shoes and placed some of the grocery items inside but only half of the items was able to fit.

We just stared at it and scratched our heads.

"Taiga, why did you buy this lots of stuffs?", I said.

"I can't help it!"

"Glutton."

"Tch!", Taiga just clicked his tongue because he couldn't disagree with me.

"Fine. Where do you live?"

Taiga gave me a blank stare and placed his two hands across his chest, as if covering his breast.

I stared back at him, expressionlessly, and said, "No, I won't rape you. Happy now?".

He put down his hands and said, "Okay".

Taiga and I walked together. I placed a few of his items inside my school bag and carried the others with my hand, while the small plastic bag of my ice cream bars are hanged around my right wrist. On the other hand, Taiga was carrying his sports bag on his right shoulder, his rubber shoes were tied on his bag's handle, and he was embracing an overflowing plastic bag. I told him to him hold it like to make sure that the last bag doesn't snap like the others because that will be too troublesome to the max.

Finally, we reached his home. One thing I can describe about his place, it was so comfy. He had a very spacious living room and the kitchen and dining was separate.

"Wow… your place is good. Do you live alone here?"

"Yep. My Dad and Mom are out of the country right now due to their works."

"Awesome. Anyway, everything's okay now?"

"Yup. Thanks."

"So what's your lesson today?"

"Haaa?"

"You can run, but you can never hide. HAHAHAHAHAHA", I told Taiga.

"Because you were like stalking me, you know?!"

"Nani?! I just happened to be in that convenience store but I didn't know you were there too!"

"But you kept following me afterwards!"

I stopped and calmed down my mood. "Hmm… well, that's right. But still, I am not a stalker. Bleh!"

"Tch!"

"Anyway, I better go now", I told Taiga.

"Okay."

"Jya. Mata ashita~" I waved at him and walked towards the exit.

Kagami saw a small plastic bag on his table and checked what was inside it. He found out that it was my watermelon ice cream bars.

"Great. She forgot these. Now I have to bring this to her." And he sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The next morning…

"Ohayou!", I greeted Taiga as he approached his chair around two seats behind me.

"Ohayou.", he said. He handed me a familiar plastic bag and placed them on my desk. "Here's your ice cream bars." Taiga handed me the items I bought yesterday.

"Eeeeh? Why did you bring it? It will melt here!", I complained.

"Haaa? That's not my problem", he told me and went to his seat.

"Ooh, you meanie." I rushed out the door and went to the nurse's room. Based on my eidetic memory, which is 99.9% reliable, I saw a refrigerator at the clinic. I think some injectable medicines and ice packs were being stored there. I begged the nurse at the station to allow me to put my ice cream bars in the fridge and promised her two of them. Oh well, at least they won't be wasted.

I barely made it back to my class before my homeroom teacher arrived.

"It seems to me that you and Taiga are friends now", Kuroko suddenly said behind me.

"Ah, right. Reeeeeal friends. Hihi" and I gave him a peace sign.

"You really know how to befriend guys like him," Kuroko suddenly muttered.

"Eh?"

"Nothing..."

The class ended, and Kuroko and Taiga were about to go to the gym for their basketball practice.

"Oi, Kuroko," Taiga said. "Let's go."

Kuroko replied with his "Hai".

"Nee, nee, I'll go visit you later, okay?", I said.

"Hai", Kuroko affirmed while Taiga said, "Do whatever you want."

"Yeey!", I exclaimed. "But I'll be there after an hour maybe. I'll just visit some club. See yah!"

"Okay", Kuroko said.

I visited the Music Club and registered as one of its member. Music had been my second love, next to basketball. I love to sing and I play guitar. When asked to demonstrate, I played them the electric guitar. Fortunately, I received positive feedbacks from them. I also told them I can sing, thus, they gave me more than their thumbs up.

After my first visit at the club, I went straight to the gymnasium. With my surprise, there were a lot of girls swarming around it and more of them were still coming.

_Wow… I didn't know Seirin's team is this popular. _

I walked around the gym to find a place to enter and I was very fortunate. It was at the back door which appeared to be a backstage. As I went near the court, I could hear the squeaking of sneakers and bounces from the dribbling of the ball. I was pretty sure that they were playing basketball. At the same time, I can hear the girls' shrieking. I couldn't understand what they were shouting because each girl in the crowd was screaming randomly. As I reached the stage itself, with its curtains down, the screeching or shoes and ball had died down. Maybe the game has ended and I could hear an angry Taiga and another voice of a male whom I think was very familiar with me. Taiga was challenging the guy he was conversing with.

But anyway, I saw a staircase on the left side of the stage and immediately went down through it.

The first person who saw me was Riku.

Riku beamed at me and called me, "Ah, Chieto-san! Good thing you're here. You also know that guy, right?" She pointed out to someone in the court. "Kise Ryouta."

By reflex, I immediately turned my back towards the guy in the court. He was a tall and blonde guy with a piercing on his left ear. _Ah, shoot, I know that earring. _He really was Kise Ryouta, one of the Generation of Miracles of Teiko Junior High and a popular model.

Kise Ryouta's eyes began to freeze and reacted with an, "Ah! Chi-"

But I suddenly jumped off from my feet and said, "Ah! I forgot my bag!". "I'll catch up with you later, Riku-san. I'll just get my bag." Then, I ran outside the gym.

"Ah, okay…", Riku answered, dumbfoundingly. "Er, she has her bag with her right?"

"Maybe she forgot she had it with her", Hyuuga replied.

Kise Ryouta approached Kuroko. "Nee, Kurokocchi…", he said with his sad eyes.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko replied and shook his head as if telling him, "don't".

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not as easy as that, Kise-kun."

I ran towards my classroom. It was the first place my mind thought of, maybe, because of the lie I just made. I just need to escape from that place.

I approached the window and looked out at the direction where the basketball gym was located.

_My new life in this country and in this school has just started. Why did he appear so fast?_

I pulled out my earphones from my bag and plugged it to my smartphone. This is one of my methods in order to escape reality, by turning on my music and listen to J-Rock songs. When I'm stressed, I do not listen to English songs but rather to Japanese songs with fast beats. English words could pierce my heart because I could understand each of its word without any effort. Understanding it is as easy as breathing. Unlike with Japanese words, I need to digest it first before I understand the meaning.

I also remembered the ice cream bars I stored in the clinic. So I went to the clinic and picked up my bag of ice cream bars. There were only three left. Obviously, the nurse really claimed his prize. After that, I decided to loiter outside the school.

With my loud music still covering my ears, I wander around places, as if I have nowhere to go.

It was already sunset when I realized I've been walking for hours.

_Aaah… this is bad. I got so affected. It's been years already. Stupid._

As I was heading home, I saw a small, empty basketball court in some abandoned looking lot. However, I found something that really made my feet drag me towards it. I saw a basketball ball being hidden under some rubbles.

I held the ball and it still had enough air on it. I tested the ball by making it bounce.

Plok! Plok! The ball was still in good condition. It was sure that the person who had lost it here felt so bad and it would also make me feel bad for the ball to be wasted here.

As I dribbled the ball, I felt something so nostalgic. It had been years since the last I dribbled a basketball ball. Wow, it felt awesome. I dropped my bag under the basketball ring. The ring was already rusty making it very hard for someone to dunk on it, unless he wanted to have some tetanus. It didn't even have a net.

I kicked some rubbles near the basketball ring. My shoes are getting dusty but I didn't care. I wanted some area where I can dribble the ball. I also pulled up my hair and tightly tied it with my handkerchief.

"Yosh!"

I began dribbling the ball, faster, and faster. Then I ran around the small area of the court but I didn't care if I was just run in circles. Then I did a few exhibitions: crisscrossed the ball from the front and behind, circled the ball on my finger, and rolled the ball on my shoulder. I even took shots on the ring. I made lay-ups and normal shots.

Maybe it had been only 5 minutes since I started playing with the ball that I just found but I was already tired. I haven't had this physical strain for years so no wonder I no longer have the stamina to play this sport.

As I lost my grip on the ball, it rolled out somewhere. Because of my tiredness, I didn't realize that someone had already been watching me all throughout.

"I didn't know you can play basketball"

"Taiga?", I said.

Right. It was Taiga. He was the only possible person I know who can speak English like that.

" So why not join the Girls' Basketball Team?"

Still catching my breath, I told him, " Naah…I'd rather not to. I have nothing to do with Basketball anymore."

"Was it because of Kise Ryouta?"

I froze.

"Kuruko already told me that you, guys, have some bitter past. Well, he didn't give me the details. In fact, even though I tried to force Kuroko, he told me to get the answer from you."

I sighed. "Would you really like to know the answer?"

" I actually don't care what happened between the two of you. But whatever wrong he did to you, I can make him pay for it my kicking his ass in the court because that's the only thing I really care about: to beat all the members of the Generation of Miracles and be the Number One in Japan."

I laughed. "Nice one, Taiga. Right, please kick that bastard's ass for me. That's a deal, okay?"

"Of course." Taiga smiled back at me.

"You know what," I said, "let's get some ice cream."

Taiga and I went to the nearest convenience store and bought ourselves some ice cream bars again, and they were watermelon-flavored again. Taiga actually asked me why I kept on buying the watermelon-flavored so I told him he should just try it to know why.

We ate our ice cream bars right in front of the same store where we bought it. Well, it was actually my choice since I want to take my rest for a while before I start walking again to get home.

"Nee, how did you find me there?", I asked Taiga.

"I saw you went to that alley", he replied.

"Now, who's the stalker here?"

With that, Taiga suddenly coughed and I just laughed at him.

Silence began to envelope us and it made me really irritated. So I decided to talk about THE details.

"Anyway, Taiga, since we're friends now, I'll tell you some secret."

"Dozo…"

"(E) Kise Ryouta was my ex."

Taiga again coughed. "Seriously...?!"

"Just kidding."

Taiga just stared at me, dumbfounded. But I followed up my "joke" with another negative statement, "I lied. He really was."

" You know, if you weren't a girl, I might have already hit you", Taiga coldly replied.

I just giggled softly at him.

"Well," I said looking down at the floor, "That bitter past which Kuroko describes includes the fact that I don't even know what he and I had back then so let's skip that drama, okay? I hate drama, you know?"

" Good. 'Coz I also won't listen to girly dramas", Taiga replied.

"So meeeeanie, Taiga!"

"Haaa? 'Coz I don't know how to comfort girls when they cry, you know?!"

"Haaaa? Who said I'm going to cry?!"

"You're a girl so you will cry!"

I was about to comment on his mockery about girls, but he suddenly muttered in Japanese, "And I hate to see a girl crying."

Okay. My heart suddenly calmed a bit for some reason. Taiga is kind of weird for me. He is too stubborn yet he say some things you never expected from his looks. Oh well, maybe I have judged Taiga based on his looks.

"Argh. I don't really care what happened between the two of you. But seeing someone devastated with something trivial as that is something which I don't think I can ignore because it pains my eyes."

I laughed. "Devastated? Wait, Taiga, do you know what the term "devastated" means?"

Taiga glared at me.

"So I really look pathetic to you right now, huh…"

The two of us went into silence for a moment.

"Well, it appears to me that your memories of him are not that good. But why do you have to be affected by that? It was all in the past now and both of you have different lives already." Taiga threw the stick of the ice cream bar in the trash can from his location, turned his back against me, and walked towards the street which heads to our homes. "I'll just avenge you in court."

Upon realizing his last statement, I jumped towards Taiga and wrapped around my arms on his super broad back. "Aishiteru, Tiger-sama!"

Taiga forcefully removed my arms and exclaimed, "Oi! Don't embarrass me in public!"

"But you are soooo kawaii there!"

"Gaaah! Shut up! Or I'll bring you to that guy! Ah, no, I hate to see that guy outside the court. Gaaah! Stay away from me!"

* * *

><p><em>Notes from the author: <em>

_So there you have it. Feel free to comment on this one so that I can improve the story and my writing. ^_^ I'm still thinking whether I should stick with the flow of the story of the anime/manga or create my own "flow". Oh well, i'm still contemplating on it. Just watch out for the next chapters, okay? Thanks for reading! :)_


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